I subscribe to WebMD’s daily newsletter that comes via email and a recent article entitled “Do Optimists Live Longer?” caught my eye. The authors based the article on a study that followed 160,000 women and found that those who were most optimistic, or as they describe it “see the potential for positive things to happen in the future”, lived 5.4% longer than their pessimistic peers. This made me wonder how it could relate to my role as a CarePartner? It’s tough to be optimistic when you are caring for someone who has a progressive illness. So, I decided to take a look at my favorite resources, the Davis Phinney and Michael J Fox websites, to see what they have to say on the topic.

Connie Carpenter Phinney is very active in her role of CarePartner and co-founder of the Davis Phinney Foundation. Her approach is to “mindfully practice optimism”. She acknowledges that negative things happen but uses them to prepare for what might be coming. For more on Connie’s technique, check out What I Have Learned as a Parkinson’s Care Partner on the Davis Phinney Foundation website.

The Michael J Fox Foundation focuses mostly on research, yet I found this great quote from Michael on the very first page “To me, hope is informed optimism.” There is no better place to get updated, and hopeful, information about PD than on the MJFF website. Looking deeper, I found a tool for CarePartners written by Lonnie Ali regarding her journey with husband Muhammed Ali. She writes of how important it is “to keep a positive attitude and sense of humor”, another great definition of optimism. To see the rest of what she has to say visit You, Your Loved One, and Parkinson’s Disease on the MJFF website.

Will it extend my life to be mindfully optimistic like Connie says or keep a positive attitude with Lonnie? Staying positive when facing the challenges of Care Partnering isn’t easy for any of us, yet I believe it is worth the effort. Even if it doesn’t extend my life, having a positive outlook will make my days now go better. Perhaps I can’t have hope for my husband’s recovery from PD but I can hold the hope that we will have a good day today. And one good day at a time is okay with me.